Mike Yoder/Journal-World PhotoOKLAHOMA CITY ? Carl Henry was just one of many former Kansas University basketball players cheering for the Jayhawks Thursday against Utah State at Ford Center.
He was, however, the only former Jayhawk sitting with a player being recruited by KU.
“I like Kansas a lot,” said C.J. Henry, one of the top high school sophomores in the country and the son of the former Kansas shooting guard. “I like Nick Collison and Kirk Hinrich. It’s fun to watch them play.”
The younger Henry likes KU, and Kansas appears to be one of many colleges that are interested in acquiring his services. College coaches can’t talk to sophomores directly, but Henry has received letters from Kansas, Oklahoma, Stanford, Arkansas, Kentucky, Texas, Texas Tech and North Carolina, among others.
Of course, KU has at least two advantages in the recruiting department.
Carl Henry played for Ted Owens and Larry Brown and was the Jayhawks’ leading scorer in both 1982-83 and 1983-84. His wife, the former Barbara Adkins, played for KU’s women’s team from 1982 to 1985.
Carl and C.J. had planned to attend KU’s basketball reunion Feb. 16 in Lawrence, but C.J.’s younger brother, Xavier, was sick, and the family stayed home in Putnam City, Okla.
That meant C.J. didn’t get to see his first game in Allen Fieldhouse.
“I haven’t seen one before,” he said. “Dad always tells me how packed it is and how great the atmosphere is. I wanted to go.”
Henry, 6-foot-3 and still growing, can play either guard spot. He helped Putnam City High to a state runner-up finish in Class 6A this season.
Now he will turn his attention to baseball. A shortstop and pitcher, he made his school’s varsity squad as a freshman last year.
Henry said he would like to play both sports in college, but he knows that could be difficult because the seasons overlap.
“They might make me choose,” the 16-year-old said of the schools recruiting him. “I’d have to think about it long and hard. I’ll have to pray about it. I think I’m just as good at both.”
In addition to playing baseball, Henry will play plenty of offseason basketball. He’ll attend the Nike All-American camp in July in Indianapolis, and his AAU team — coached by his dad — will play several tournaments, including the MAYB national tournament in August in Wichita.
“We try to fit in what we can,” Carl said.
C.J. isn’t the only young athlete in the family. Xavier Henry, 11, is already 6-2.
“He’s good,” C.J. said. “Really good.”
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In the house: Other former Jayhawks in the KU cheering section included Roger Morningstar, Clint Normore, Kevin Pritchard, Brett Ballard and Lewis Harrison. Former Kansas athletic director Bob Frederick had a good seat in the front row behind KU’s bench. Former Kansas athletic director Bob Marcum sat in the Memphis section during the Tigers’ game against Arizona State. Marcum is the AD at Marshall, his alma mater.
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Another father and son: Former college and NBA coach Lon Kruger also was in attendance. Kruger’s son Kevin is a freshman guard for Arizona State, which defeated Memphis, 84-71, in the first game of the night session.
Kruger, a Silver Lake native, was fired by the Atlanta Hawks and is undecided on what his next move will be. The former Kansas State player and coach said it was odd to watch Kansas from the stands.
“It is strange from this perspective,” he said. “They had another outstanding year. I’m just enjoying watching them play.”
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Open house: One of KU’s largest benefactors, Salina native-turned-Californian Dana Anderson, sat alongside chancellor Robert Hemenway.
Anderson said he didn’t know when he would return to Lawrence to open Anderson Strength and Conditioning Center, KU’s new $8 million facility.
Kansas moved equipment into the nearly completed weight room this week, and the Jayhawks are scheduled to begin using the facility when classes resume after spring break Monday.
KU had hoped to have an open house coinciding with the spring football game April 12, but Anderson will be busy that week in California when KU basketball coach Roy Williams visits to accept the Wooden Legends of Coaching Award. In fact, Williams plans to stay at Anderson’s home in Bel Air.
KU volleyball coach Ray Bechard, sitting a few rows away, stopped to thank Anderson for his $4 million gift.
“I hope it helps with recruiting,” Anderson said. “I hope it helps all our sports.”
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Spring break: KU’s football team took time off from spring drills this week because of spring break and will resume practices Monday. That worked out well for director of football operations George Matsakis, who attended the Big 12 Conference basketball tournament Saturday in Dallas before heading north to Oklahoma City.
“I’m a huge college basketball fan,” Matsakis said. “We’ve been really fortunate. There’s usually at least one weekend that we can go.”
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Tickets: Kansas was allotted 650 tickets by the NCAA and sold all of them. Of course, thousands of Jayhawks found alternate means of procuring their own ducats. Scalpers outside Ford Center were asking $125 per ticket for midcourt seats. Those prices are expected to rise Saturday with Oklahoma and Kansas playing for berths in the Sweet 16.
